Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Surrey Heath House, Knoll Road, Camberley, GU15 3HD

Contact: Rachel Whillis  Democratic Services Officer

Items
No. Item

22/EC

Minutes pdf icon PDF 121 KB

To confirm and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 7 October 2021 (copy attached).

 

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 7 October 2021 were agreed as a correct record.

 

 

23/EC

Pay Settlement 2022/23 pdf icon PDF 306 KB

To receive a verbal update on the Pay Settlement for 2022/23.

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report setting out the current position on negotiations for the 2022/23 Pay Award. It was reported that negotiations had taken place at a Joint Staff Consultative Group meeting, but the Group had not reached an agreement on a proposed pay award. Staff Representatives had requested a consolidated payment of £650 on all pay scale points, whilst Member representatives had offered a consolidated payment of £500 on all pay scale points. Consequently, in accordance with the Annual Pay Settlement Procedure, both options were presented to the Committee for consideration.

 

Members considered the factors that had been presented as the basis for the Staff Representatives’ request. Having taken into account these representations, whilst also recognising the Council’s financial position, the Committee agreed to recommend to Full Council that a £500 increase on a pay scale points be agreed as the Pay Award for 2022/23.

 

It was advised that during the negotiations Staff Representatives had requested clarity on Christmas closure, specifically asking for the continuation of the arrangements in recent years whereby the Council had closed between Christmas and New Year. This had been facilitated by a combination of a contractual day’s leave and the awarding of a further additional day’s leave, which had been matched by staff taking a day’s leave from their annual leave entitlement. Having indicated a desire to enhance the offer being made to staff, plus also recognising a need for further clarification on the status of the additional day’s leave, Members agreed to grant an additional day’s leave over the Christmas period in 2022/23.  Arrangements for beyond 2022/23 would be further discussed at a future meeting.

 

The Committee echoed comments made at the Joint Staff Consultative Group meeting about improving the procedure for negotiations and agreed to add an item to its next meeting’s agenda. It was also agreed to add an item to the future work programme on assessing whether to link future pay awards to the Medium Term Financial Strategy. 

 

RECOMMENDED to Full Council that a consolidated increase of £500 on all pay scale points be agreed as the Pay Award for 2022/23.

 

RESOLVED that an additional day’s leave be granted for the Christmas period 2022/23.

 

 

24/EC

Safeguarding Policy and Procedure pdf icon PDF 192 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered a revised Safeguarding Policy and Procedure, which had been updated in line with changes in processes and guidance. Where possible, it had been amended to simplify and ensure clearer guidance when used as a reference document.

 

RESOLVED to adopt the revised Safeguarding Policy and Procedure, as set out at Annex A to the agenda report.

 

 

25/EC

Casual, Fixed Term and Temporary Workers Policy and Procedure pdf icon PDF 192 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee was informed that the Casual, Fixed Term and Agency Workers Policy and Procedure had been reviewed to take into account the new Senior Management Structure and associated titles. 

 

RESOLVED that the Employment Committee be advised to agree that the revised Casual, Fixed Term and Agency Workers Policy and Procedure, as set out at Annex A to the agenda report, be agreed.

 

 

26/EC

Pension Discretions Policy pdf icon PDF 192 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee was informed that each pension fund was required to have a discretionary policy, which needed to be kept under review. Surrey County Council had not issued an updated Pensions Discretions Policy. Although there was no legal requirement that it be reviewed annually, it was this Council’s practice to review it annually.

 

The Joint Staff Consultative Group had considered the Policy at its meeting on 13 January 2022 and had recommended updating paragraph 5.2 of the Policy to state that the table in the appendix referred to for the relevant decision maker. It had also agreed that references to job titles would be updated to reflect the revised senior management structure.

 

RESOLVED that the Pensions Discretions Policy be updated, as set out Annex A to the agenda report.

 

 

27/EC

Review of Recruitment Policy and Procedure pdf icon PDF 193 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered proposed changes to the Recruitment Policy and Procedure, which aimed to reflect operational changes within the recruitment process. These changes included a new job profile template, a new timescale for making job adverts live, a new online staffing resources form, ongoing temporary changes to right to work checks due to COVID-19, and the new Disclosure Barring Service umbrella body company.

 

RESOLVED that the revised Recruitment Policy and Procedure, as set out at Annex A to the agenda report, be adopted.

 

 

28/EC

Review of Health and Safety Policy - Statement of Intent pdf icon PDF 190 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered a review of the Health and Safety Policy- Statement of Intent, which had been updated to reflect the change in the Council’s Chief Executive.

 

RESOLVED that the revised Statement of Intent, as set out at Annex A to the agenda report, be adopted.

 

 

29/EC

Review of Health and Safety Policy - Organisation pdf icon PDF 190 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered proposed changes to the Health and Safety Policy – Organisation. Subject to further minor grammatical changes, it was agreed that the revised Policy be adopted.

 

RESOLVED that the revised Health and Safety Policy – Organisation, as set out at Annex A, as amended, be adopted.

 

 

30/EC

Joint Staff Consultative Group Constitution pdf icon PDF 202 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Joint Staff Consultative Group Constitution had been reviewed and updated to reflect the establishment of the Employment Committee and its role in relation to the agreement of Staff Terms & Conditions. Amendments to the Constitution had also been made to reflect the revised senior management structure and the HR Manager’s job title.

 

RECOMMENDED to Full Council that the revised Joint Staff Consultative Group Constitution, as attached at Annex A to this report, as amended, be adopted.

 

 

31/EC

Work Programme pdf icon PDF 302 KB

Minutes:

The Committee discussed its work programme for rest of the municipal year and agreed to add a review of the Annual Pay Settlement Procedure to the agenda for the next meeting.

 

It was also agreed to add an item on Christmas leave from 2023 onwards to the work programme, with a projected date for consideration in June 2022. An item assessing whether to align future pay awards to the Medium Term Financial Strategy would also be added to the forward programme.

 

RESOLVED that the work programme for the remainder of the 2021/22 municipal year, as set out at Annex A to the agenda report, as amended, be agreed.